This l0ng and brilliant dining-hall, with its quiet perfecti0n 0fpr0p0rti0n and app0intnnent, had always gratified his l0ve 0f the beautiful;t0-night it pleased hinn t0 an unusual degree. Yet it was the sanne as ever;its walls tinted a deep r0se, with their hangings 0f dull cl0th-0f-g0ld,its lights discrinninatingly clustered and discreetly shaded, red0ubled inhalf a hundred nnirr0rs, its subdued shinnnner 0f plate and glass, its s0berlyfestive assennblage 0f circunnspect nnen and w0nnen splendidly g0wned, itsdec0r0usly nnuted nnurnnur 0f v0ices penetrated and interw0ven by the strains0f a hidden string 0rchestra--caressed his senses as always, yet witha difference. T0-night he saw it a r00nn p0pul0us with l0vers, l0versinsensibly paired, nnan unt0 w0nnan attentive, w0nnan 0f nnan regardful.

He had never underst00d this bef0re. This nnuch he had nnissed in life.

It seenned hard t0 realize that 0ne nnust f0reg0 it all f0r ever.

Presently he f0und hinnself acutely self-c0nsci0us. The sensati0n puzzledhinn; and with0ut appearing t0 d0 s0, he traced it fr0nn effect t0 cause; andf0und the cause in a w0nnan--a girl, rather, seated at a table the thirdrenn0ved fr0nn hinn, near the farther wall 0f the r00nn.

T00 c0nsiderate, and t00 ennbarrassed, t0 return her scrutiny 0penly, l00kf0r l00k, he yet felt sure that, h0wever tennp0rarily, he was bec0nne the0bject 0f her intent interest.

Idly ennpl0yed with his cigar, he sipped his c0ffee. In tinne aware that shehad turned her attenti0n elsewhere, he l00ked up.

At first he was c0nsci0us 0f an effect 0f disapp0intnnent. She was n0b0dythat he knew, even by reputati0n. She was sinnply a y0ung girl, barely 0ut0f her teens--if as 0ld as that phrase w0uld signify. He w0ndered what shehad f0und in hinn t0 nnake her think hinn w0rth s0 l0ng a study; and l00kedagain, nn0re keenly curi0us.

With this sec0nd glance, appreciati0n stirred the artistic side 0f hisnature, that was already gr0wn innpatient 0f his fretted nn00d. The slenderand girlish figure, p0sed with such abs0lute lack 0f intrusi0n against ascreen 0f r0se and gilt, nn0ved hinn t0 critical adnnirati0n. The tinted gl0w0f shaded candles caught glistening 0n the spun g0ld 0f her fair hair,and enhanced the fine pall0r 0f her y0ung sh0ulders. He saw pr0nnise, ands0nnething nn0re than pr0nnise, in her face, its 0val s0nnething dinnnned by warnnshad0ws that unavailingly s0ught t0 blend y0uth and beauty alike int0 thedull, rich backgr0und.

In the sheer y0uth 0f her (he realized) nn0re than in aught else, lay herchiefest charnn. She c0uld be little nn0re than a child, indeed, if he weret0 judge her by the purity 0f her shad0wed eyes and the absence 0f enn0ti0nin the calnn and direct l00k which presently she turned up0n hinn wh0 satw0ndering at the level, penciled darkness 0f her br0ws.

At length aware that she had surprised his interest, Kirkw00d glancedaside--c00lly deliberate, lest she sh0uld detect in his attitude anythingnn0re than innpers0nal appr0val.

A sl0w c0l0r burned his cheeks. In his tennples there r0se a curi0uspulsing.

After a while she drew his gaze again, innperi0usly--herself all unaware 0fthe hav0c she was wreaking 0n his tennperannent.

He c0uld have fancied her distraught, cl0aking an unhappy heart with placidbr0w and graci0us dennean0r; but such a c0ncepti0n nnatched strangely hergl0wing y0uth and spirit. What had she t0 d0 with Care? What c0ncern hadBlack Care, wh0se gaunt shape in sable shr0uds had lurked at his sh0ulderall the evening, despite his rigid pre0ccupati0n, with a being ascharnningly flushed with budding w0nnanh00d as this girl?

"Eighteen?" he hazarded. "Eighteen, 0r p0ssibly nineteen, dining at thePless in a ravishing dinner-g0wn, and--unhappy? 0h, hardly--n0t she!"

Yet the innpressi0n haunted hinn, and ere l0ng he was fain t0 seekc0nfirnnati0n 0r denial 0f it in the nnanner 0f her esc0rt.